Selected IBM System x , BladeCenter , and PureFlex System server models can now be ordered and shipped with the Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Operating System Datacenter, Standard, and Storage Server editions through AAS, the same fulfillment systems as Power offerings

Selected IBM System x , BladeCenter , and PureFlex System server models can now be ordered and shipped with the Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Operating System Datacenter, Standard, and Storage Server editions through AAS, the same fulfillment systems as Power offerings

Selected IBM® System x® , BladeCenter® , and PureFlex System server models can now be ordered and shipped with the Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Operating System Datacenter, Standard, and Storage Server editions through AAS fulfillment systems.

Selected IBM System x , BladeCenter , and PureFlex System server models can now be ordered and shipped with the Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Operating System Datacenter, Standard, and Storage Server editions through the same AAS fulfillment systems as Power® offerings.

Orders for the Windows Server 2012 operating systems are accepted only in conjunction with a valid hardware order.

The Windows Server 2012 product line has been streamlined and simplified, making it easier for clients to choose the edition that is right for their needs.

Windows Server 2012 Datacenter and Standard Editions will have a consistent licensing model (Per processor based + CALs) and each license grants rights to run on up to 2 processors.

Differentiation between Datacenter and Standard editions is based on virtualization. (There are no technical controls in software, the Virtual Machine (VM) usage rights are governed via the end user license terms.)

Windows Server 2012 Standard edition (2 CPU) includes two VMs per license and Windows Server Datacenter edition (2 CPU) includes unlimited VM's. The Datacenter and Standard edition code base and features are identical.

Windows Server 2012 Standard and Datacenter editions will continue to require Windows Server CALs (Client Access Licenses) for every user or device accessing a server. There are two types of Windows Server 2012 CALs, device-based and user-based, known as Windows Device CALs or Windows User CALs.

Clients can choose to acquire a Windows CAL either for every device (used by any user) accessing their servers, or for every named user accessing their servers (from any device).

The option to choose between the two types of Windows CALs offers clients the flexibility to use the licensing that best suits the needs of their organization. For example:

Windows Device CALs might make most economic and administrative sense for an organization with multiple users for one device, such as shift workers.

Whereas, Windows User CALs might make most sense for an organization with many roaming employees that need access to the corporate network from unknown devices and/or employees who access the network via multiple devices.

Some additional or advanced functionality will continue to require the purchase of an additive CAL. These are CALs are required in addition to the Windows Server CAL to access functionality, such as Remote Desktop Services or Active Directory Rights Management Services.

Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard edition has a per-processor-based licensing model (similar to Windows Server 2012 Standard and Datacenter editions), with each license granting the rights to run on up to two processors; however, CALs are not required and unlimited external connections are allowed.

IBM OEM licenses are available for the following Windows Server 2012 operating system editions at a competitive price:

Refer to the Reference information section for more product information and previous announcement literature associated with each of the offerings herein. This announcement can be used for reference purposes when creating orders or placing orders for these offerings in the AAS ordering systems. The original product announcement materials for each offering contain detailed descriptions of the products and their intended benefits, and value.

The Windows Server 2012 product line-up has been streamlined and simplified, making it easier for customers to choose the edition that is right for their needs. Windows Server Enterprise, Windows Server Web and Windows Storage Server Enterprise editions will not be offered as Windows Server 2012 editions.

Windows Server 2012 Datacenter edition with unlimited virtualization rights provides the benefits of cloud-level scale with predictable, lower costs. Windows Server 2012 Standard edition now offers all of the same enterprise-class features as Datacenter and is differentiated only by virtualization rights.

Clients can choose from three editions of Windows Server 2012, based on the size of their organization and your requirements for virtualization and cloud computing.

Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Datacenter edition

Ideal for highly-virtualized private cloud environments

Full Windows Server functionality with unlimited virtual instances

Processor + CAL licensing model

Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Standard edition

Ideal for low density or non-virtualized environments

Full Windows Server functionality with two virtual instances

Processor + CAL licensing model

Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2012 Standard edition

Stand-alone NAS (Network Attached Storage) Highly Available NAS

NAS Gateways

Windows Server 2012 increased scalability and performance

Windows Server 2012 has increased scalability and performance over Windows Server 2008 R2. Following are the Windows Sever 2012 Maximum System resource numbers:

Server Manager: Simplified, single-UI management of multiple servers

The expanded capabilities of Server Manager in Windows Server 2012 can help facilitate multiserver tasks such as remote role and feature deployment to both physical and virtual servers and custom server group creation.

IT professionals can provision servers and offline virtual hard disks from their desktops without requiring physical access to the system or Remote Desktop Protocol connections to each server. Administrators can manage groups of servers collectively from within a single, integrated console, which enables them to respond to business-critical problems with greater speed and agility.

Storage Spaces is a storage virtualization technology which succeeds Logical Disk Manager and allows the organization of physical disks into logical volumes similar to Logical Volume Manager ( Linux ), RAID1 or RAID5, but on a higher level.

A storage space will behave like a physical disk to the user, with thin provisioning of available disk space. The spaces are organized within a storage pool, i.e. a collection of physical disks, which can span multiple disks of different sizes and different interfaces (USB, SATA, SAS). The process of adding new disks or replacing failed or older disks is fully automatic, but can be controlled with PowerShell commands. The same storage pool can host multiple storage spaces. Storage Spaces have built-in resiliency from disk failures, which is achieved by either mirroring or striping with parity across the physical disks. Each storage pool on the ReFS filesystem is limited to 4 PB (4096 TB), but there are no limits on the total number of storage pools or the number of storage spaces within a pool.

Storage Live Migration: More VHDs with minimal downtime risk and cost

Hyper-V live migration moves running virtual machines from one physical server to another with no impact on virtual machine availability to users. By precopying the memory of the migrating virtual machine to the destination server, live migration minimizes the transfer time of the virtual machine. A live migration is deterministic, which means that the administrator, or script, that initiates the live migration determines which computer is used as the destination for the live migration. The guest operating system of the migrating virtual machine is not aware that the migration is happening, so no special configuration for the guest operating system is needed.

Expanded device support: More choice across a variety of devices

Enables access to a centralized desktop from the following types of devices: PCs, laptops, mobile tablets, (RemoteFX-based) and thin clients (support for additional client devices is provided by Microsoft partners like Citrix).

Simplified DirectAccess: Easy deployment and use of remote access capabilities

DirectAccess allows remote users to securely access enterprise shares, websites, and applications without connecting to a virtual private network (VPN). DirectAccess establishes bidirectional connectivity with a user's enterprise network every time a user's DirectAccess-enabled portable computer connects to the Internet, even before the user logs on. Users never have to think about connecting to the enterprise network and IT administrators can manage remote computers outside the office, even when the computers are not connected to the VPN.

Load Balance Failover (LBFO)

Higher throughput and reliability through failover.

BranchCache: Simplified deployment and performance

Simplifies the deployment by removing the need for having a certificate on the hosted cache. It improves performance by reducing the average block size of the cache, and allows the administrator to configure ta set of servers to work together to act like a single hosted cache. In addition, BranchCache can be managed and configured using known tools like WMI and PowerShell; this allows third-party management solutions to extend the solution using standardized tools.

Windows PowerShell 3.0 provides a comprehensive platform to help you manage server roles and automate management tasks. Sessions to remote servers are resilient and can withstand various types of interruptions. In addition, learning Windows PowerShell is now easier than ever through improved cmdlet discovery and simplified, consistent syntax across all cmdlets.

Provides the flexibility to place any VM on any node irrespective of their IP address and allows multiple VMs to have their own IP address. This makes the transition to hosters' private clouds easier for customer with existing on-premise VMs/physical servers.

De-duplication is an in-box feature that delivers capacity optimization, scale and performance, reliability and data integrity at no additional cost.

Additional information

All offers are subject to availability. IBM reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice. IBM is not responsible for photographic or typographic errors.

Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act

IBM makes no representation about the Section 508 status of the third-party electronic and information technology product in this offering. Contact the vendor for specific, current information on the Section 508 status of this product.

Business Partner information

If you are a Direct Reseller - System Reseller acquiring products from IBM , you may link directly to Business Partner information for this announcement. A PartnerWorld® ID and password are required (use IBM ID).

Software requirements

The program's specifications and specified operating environment information may be found in documentation accompanying the program, if available, such as a readme file, or other information published by IBM , such as an announcement letter. Documentation and other program content may be supplied only in the English language.

Limitations

Windows Server 2012 offerings may be sold only as follows:

With a new IBM-branded Intel or AMD processor-based server, limited to the quantity necessary for the server being purchased.

Clients can purchase support for Windows Server 2012 from Microsoft or from IBM Global Technology Services® .

Access to help line calls for fast, accurate answers to your questions during installation and throughout ongoing operations.

Planning information

Packaging

When Windows Server 2012 (5639-WS1 or 5639-WS2) is ordered, the media and documentation will be delivered with the hardware ship group, and a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) will be affixed to the hardware. When Windows 2012 Client Access Licenses (5639-WS3) are ordered, the CALs will be packaged separately and not tied to the hardware.

Your Proof of Entitlement (PoE) for this program is a copy of a paid sales receipt, purchase order, invoice, or other sales record from IBM or its authorized reseller from whom you acquired the program, provided that it states the license charge unit (the characteristics of intended use of the program, number of processors, number of users) and quantity acquired.

Information about how you may obtain program services will be provided by the party (either IBM or its authorized reseller) from whom you acquired the program.

Security, auditability, and control

Windows Server 2012 support for IBM Flex System Compute Nodes uses the security and auditability features of the operating system. The customer is responsible for evaluation, selection, and implementation of security features, administrative procedures, and appropriate controls in application systems and communication facilities.

IBM Software Services has the breadth, depth, and reach to manage your services needs. You can leverage the deep technical skills of our lab-based, software services team and the business consulting, project management, and infrastructure expertise of our IBM Global Services team. Also, we extend our IBM Software Services reach through IBM Business Partners to provide an extensive portfolio of capabilities. Together, we provide the global reach, intellectual capital, industry insight, and technology leadership to support a wide range of critical business needs.

To learn more about IBM Software Services or to contact a Software Services sales specialist, visit

Server: Server is a unit of measure by which the program can be licensed. A server is a physical computer that is comprised of processing units, memory, and input/output capabilities and that executes requested procedures, commands, or applications for one or more users or client devices. Where racks, blade enclosures, or other similar equipment is being employed, each separable physical device (for example, a blade or a rack-mounted device) that has the required components is considered itself a separate server. For the purpose of server-based licensing, licensee must obtain entitlements for each server that is made available to the program, regardless of the number of processor cores and partitions in the server or the number of copies of the program on the server.

Note: Some programs may require licenses for the program and what is being managed. In that case, the following applies. In addition to the entitlements required for the program directly, licensee must obtain entitlements for this program sufficient to cover the servers managed by the program.

Program delivery

Except where noted, configuration aid ECMPWR must be used for creation of valid software and hardware orders for the offerings in this announcement as well as other referenced and affiliated announcement offerings.

Billing for the operating systems will occur under the licensed program order number contained in this announcement.

The following license offerings can be ordered in conjunction with a new system order on which the selected operating system has been announced as an offering. Shipment of materials when ordered with a new system will be included with the system unit.

To order the programs listed below with a new system order, specify the type model number, order type description, one-time charge (OTC) feature, and drop-in-the-box feature as indicated and listed in the tables below.

Client Access License (CAL)

Windows Server 2012 uses a Server and CAL licensing model, where CALs can be assigned to either users or devices. All External users require a CAL. CALs can be used to access other Windows Servers on the Domain.

There are two types of Windows CALs to choose from-device-based or user-based, known as Windows Device CALs or Windows User CALs. This means you can choose to acquire a Windows CAL for every device (used by any user) accessing your servers, or you can choose to acquire a Windows CAL for every named user accessing your servers (from any device).

The information provided in this announcement letter is for reference and convenience purposes only. The terms and conditions that govern any transaction with IBM are contained in the applicable contract documents such as the IBM International Program License Agreement, IBM International Passport Advantage® Agreement, and the IBM Agreement for Acquisition of Software Maintenance.

Licensing

Supplier's license terms apply.

Limited warranty

Not warranted by IBM . Warranty, if any, provided by supplier.

Volume orders

Not applicable.

Educational allowance

IT system security involves protecting systems and information through prevention, detection, and response to improper access from within and outside your enterprise. Improper access can result in information being altered destroyed or misappropriated or can result in misuse of your systems to attack others. Without a comprehensive approach to security, no IT system or product should be considered completely secure and no single product or security measure can be completely effective in preventing improper access. IBM systems and products are designed to be part of a comprehensive security approach, which will necessarily involve additional operational procedures, and may require other systems, products, or services to be most effective. IBM does not warrant that systems and products are immune from the malicious or illegal conduct of any party.

The Americas Call Centers, our national direct marketing organization, can add your name to the mailing list for catalogs of IBM products.

Note: Shipments will begin after the planned availability date.

Trademarks

PureFlex and IBM Flex System are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

IBM, System x, BladeCenter, Power, PartnerWorld, Global Technology Services, Passport Advantage and ibm.com are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.

Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Terms of use

IBM products and services which are announced and available in your country can be ordered under the applicable standard agreements, terms, conditions, and prices in effect at the time. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this announcement at any time without notice. This announcement is provided for your information only. Additional terms of use are located at